The invention relates to a self-locking hinge and, more particularly, to such a hinge including means to provide support for axial members attached to the hinge and to lock the hinge in a position that resists damage to the hinge when force is applied to the axial members.
Prior art hinges have not combined the simplicity of operation, ability to withstand stress, and locking capabilities of the present invention. The patent to McGee, No. 1,673,577, is an example of a prior art circular plate locking hinge that is not resistant to stress. The circular plate hinge of McGee pivots at a single point and uses a sliding ring with a locking tab to engage a notch in the plate to lock the hinge in position. The use of a single pivotal point renders the McGee hinge susceptible to damage when force is applied since the force is concentrated at a single point rather than distributed over the hinge. In addition, the McGee locking tab is a structurally weak means to lock the hinge since the tab itself must resist any angular force that is applied to the hinge.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a simple and effective means to distribute the forces applied to a hinge to minimize the force-induced strain on the components of the hinge.
A further object of the invention is to provide a hinge locking means that is not dependent upon the strength of a single locking component.
Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge that will laterally support extending hinge members and will not pivot the members about a single stress-sensitive pivot point.
A further object of the invention is to provide a more durable hinge that includes stationary hinge guide plates rather than movable plates that are more susceptible to damage.
A further object of the invention is to provide locking hinge embodiments that utilize a pivotal connection lockable in a force resistant position.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a review of the detailed specification which follows and a consideration of the accompanying drawings.